The Podin Family

The Podin protein family consists of at least 3 members: synaptopodin, the myopodin (Synaptopodin 2 or fesselin), and the tritopodin (CHAP or synaptopodin 2-like proteins). Each family member has at least 3 isoforms that are produced by alternative splicing. Podin family members are basic proteins that are rich in proline. Like other natively unfolded proteins, Podin family members have multiple binding partners including actin and other actin-binding proteins. Several members of the Podin family have been shown to stimulate actin polymerization and to bundle actin filaments either on their own or in collaboration with other proteins (Chalovich & Schroeter, 2010).

Synaptopodin was first discovered as an actin-associated protein in kidney podocytes and postsynaptic densities of telencephalic synapses (Mundel et al. 1997). Other members of the Podin family were discovered, [Myopodin http://proteopedia.org/wiki/index.php/Myopodin] in avian smooth muscle (Leinweber et al. 1999) heart and skeletal muscle (myopodin, genethonin-2, synaptopodin 2 or fesselin) (Weins et al. 2001). The last member of the synaptopodin family of proteins, the synaptopodin 2-like protein is found in heart and skeletal muscle tissue and is better known under the names tritopodin (Claeys et al. 2009) or CHAP (Beqqali et al. 2010).